Spring
by The Mysterious Blind Bandit
Summary: Four springs in the life of Michiru Kaioh, from her awakening as Sailor Neptune to the rise of Crystal Tokyo.


Written for the Galaxy Cauldron March 2014 writing challenge.

* * *

1.

A mere hour after her first performance with an orchestra, several things were quite clear to Michiru Kaioh.

First: that where a well-wishing teacher from her school had been standing there was now a monstrous, living nightmare. Second: that there was no way out of the narrow side-alley save for right through the looming beast. Third: that the performers-only exit she had just come through could only be opened from the inside. Fourth: that she was armed only with several bouquets of flowers, a congratulatory box of chocolates, and her violin case.

All in all, the situation seemed rather hopeless.

Until-

-an awakening.

An explosion of blues and greens blinded the monster and sent it crashing into the dusty brick of the opposite wall. The seething, pulpy mass of horror, claws and far too many teeth slowly fizzled and retreated to leave behind a blissfully unconscious middle school art teacher.

The acrid stench of it still lingered, mixing with a strong yet very out-of-place smell of saltwater and creating a unique reek to pierce the sinuses of unfortunate passers-by. _An unusual combination of chemical reactions after a freak accident at a nearby water treatment plant_, the newspapers would report the next day,_ luckily with no casualties or reported injuries save for a shaken witness, more on page 12._

All of this was of little concern to the quiet green-haired girl curled up on the floor of the alley, almost as motionless and unresponsive as the teacher-turned-monster-turned-teacher. Clutching her violin case like a lifeline, Michiru felt cool saltwater slowly seep through her clothes, and shuddered. 

2.

Their first day of school at Mugen dawned beautiful and sunny, with a refreshing breeze. A glaring contrast to both their states of mind and the atmosphere at the supposed academy for geniuses the brilliant young violinist and Japan's foremost junior racer would now be attending.

There would be no cherry blossoms drawn on chalkboards or welcoming messages from senior students and teachers as, together with the early spring sun, they ushered in a new school year. The Academy's gigantic glass and metal structure loomed over the two of them oppressively as they all but marched in, ready for anything.

The seas kept pounding against her skull the entire morning, drowning out teachers and fellow students alike, and Michiru knew if she planned to make it through the school day she would have to work very hard on subduing them.

She barely managed to hold out until the start of lunch break, rushing outside as quickly as she dared, pausing only to dismiss Haruka's apparent concern.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. Our scouting mission was simply… a bit _too_ successful. This is the source, I am sure of it. Meet me outside."

Almost gasping in relief once she found herself out from under the shadow of the towering school building, Michiru glanced over the yard until she caught sight of Haruka slowly making her way through the student crowd.

Haruka, cutting a dashing figure in her fetching new blazer. Haruka, already surrounded by a group of entranced girls that hung on her every word. Haruka, offering up a grin in her direction, the light wind tousling her hair.

Her_ partner_.

Michiru took a deep breath of the fresh, sweet-smelling air and finally felt the waves in her head quiet somewhat.

Her duty was no less binding and her mission no less horrifying, but there was someone to share her burden now, and that made all the difference. 

3.

The room was getting a bit too bright to slip back into deep sleep, so Michiru contented herself with dozing and snuggling into the nearby tangle of soft blankets and warm, peacefully slumbering Haruka.

Until-

"Michiru-mama! Haruka-papa! Wake up!"

The ten-year-old jumping excitedly up and down on their bed seemed to have very different ideas about how this fine, sunny spring morning needed to be spent.

"You have to get up so we can go to the park and see the petals! You promised!"

Michiru extricated herself from the mess of blankets, ignoring the grumbling sounds they seemed to be making. She found herself on the receiving end of a Hotaru hug as soon as she sat up.

"Where's your Setsuna-mama, Hotaru?"

"Making breakfast. She said you two had a late night yesterday and were maybe tired enough to miss your alarm so I had to make sure you were up! She said it was my very important mission!"

The grumbles from underneath the blanket pile instantly became a very articulated and precise statement of intent.

"I'm going to _kill_ Setsuna."

"Please, Haruka, at least wait until after breakfast."

The alarm clock on Michiru's nightstand went off at that precise moment with a pleasant yet lively melody.

Haruka groaned. 

4.

Serenity bathed the sleeping world in silver.

The bleak, overhanging darkness of their last, doomed battle was being washed away by a power that had lain dormant for centuries. Serenity was rebuilding the world and calling to her senshi.

The forces of their foes had pressed down on them mercilessly and unstoppably. For all that they had learned and grown in their years together, it had not been enough, and the entire world had paid the price for their failure in hundreds of years of ice and silence. Until-

-an awakening.

When Neptune had felt her Mirror shatter, and shut her eyes against that final freezing blast, her left hand had been tightly grasped in Uranus' right. Now, as she felt the cold that had locked her limbs in place slowly melt away, the sensation of familiar warm, living fingers against her own served as an anchor.

A new world was emerging before her, the air of renewal and rebirth almost overwhelming in its potency. As the last of the imprisonment spell wore off, Neptune stumbled to her knees amidst the young and vibrantly green grass that now covered the former battlefield, and observed the blossoming that marked the first spring of Crystal Tokyo.


End file.
